Whopper of the Week: Dick Armey

Whopper of the Week: Dick Armey

"Representative Dick Armey of Texas, the majority leader, used a floor speech to urge colleagues to support the president's [airport security] plan, which he said had already resulted in 'unprecedented conditions of safety.' "—Lizette Alvarez, "Bush's Approach on Plane Security Chosen by House," Nov. 2 New York Times

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" 'Someone may undergo strict security in Kansas Citywhile someone else can slip a pistol by screeners in New Orleans. This is intolerable,' [Transportation Secretary Norman] Mineta said, referring to an incident last week in which a man made it through security in New Orleans and onto a flight while inadvertently carrying a loaded gun in his briefcase. … Earlier this month, FAA inspector general agents found a man who passed through a metal detector at DullesInternationalAirportwith a knife in his shoe. Late last month, a man got through a metal detector in Atlantaand realized before boarding that he had a pistol in his pocket."—Juliet Eilperin and Greg Schneider, "Airport Security Crackdown Ordered," Oct. 31 Washington Post

Got a whopper? Send it to chatterbox@slate.com. To be considered, an entry must be an unambiguously false statement paired with an unambiguous refutation, and both must be derived from some appropriately reliable public source. Preference will be given to newspapers and other documents that Chatterbox can link to online.

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